Lynne Featherstone MP has tabled a Parliamentary motion (EDM) calling on the Planning Inspectorate to take into account comments from local residents about the proposed concrete batching plant in Hornsey.

Lynne Featherstone said:

“This plant would be in the heart of a residential area and wrong for Haringey on so many levels.

“I am also greatly concerned that local businesses may have to close.

“I am therefore hoping that the Planning Inspectorate will set aside a day for local residents and myself to set out our views when the Public Inquiry starts next Tuesday.”

One of the three main reasons given for rejection of the application was noise pollution, the evidence of which came from an independent assessment that would not have been carried out if it weren’t for persistent campaigning from Cllr Laura Edge and Green N8 in the summer.

Note: Text of the Parliamentary motion

That this House notes that the Planning Inspectorate is considering an appeal by London Concrete of a decision by the London Borough of Haringey to refuse planning permission for a concrete batching plant at Cranford Way in Hornsey; notes that local residents across Hornsey & Wood Green and Tottenham are deeply concerned that the creation of such a plant would create noise, dust and increased traffic which would have a significant adverse impact on the local area; further notes that this plant would have a negative impact on the local economy causing local businesses to close; and calls upon the Planning Inspector to take full account of all the views and concerns expressed by all residents of Haringey when considering the appeal commencing on December 13th.

Cllr Wayne Hoban, Lib Dem spokesperson for Social Services, is delighted by the news that Haringey Council is not after all to close the Red Gables family centre in Crouch End. The news follows a year-long campaign by local residents, local Lib Dem councillors, and Lynne Featherstone MP, which has resulted in a Labour Council u-turn on their ill-thought out plans to close the Centre.

Last week, Haringey Council held a press conference to say that the council had ‘found the necessary funds’ to keep Red Gables open and running as a family centre.However, they would not confirm that the decision to keep the centre open would be permanent, saying that nothing could be guaranteed indefinitely.

Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“The decision to close Red Gables was a poor one. Red Gables provides a fantastic service to children and parents from all over Haringey. This has been a victory for people power and common-sense.”

Cllr Wayne Hoban comments:

“The decision to close the centre and deliver the service through 18 Children’s Centres, most of which are due to be located in the east of the borough, was obviously ill-conceived and poorly planned.Red Gables provides a unique and invaluable service to children and parents from all parts of the borough. To replace it with untried and untested Children’s Centres was nothing more than a politically driven decision, putting political dogma at the heart of decision making, rather than the needs of service users.

“You cannot close down such a service until or unless it can be proved that it will be replaced by a better service elsewhere, equally accessible to service users. The Labour-led Council clearly failed this key test. It is a victory for democracy and common-sense.”

A Lib Dem councillor has saved the Haringey taxpayer £8,500 by intervening in a planning committee hearing, stopping residents from being short-changed over a controversial development.

Lib Dem councillor for Crouch End David Winskill was at the last planning committee meeting giving support to the Gladwell Road campaign against a back land development when a Hornsey ward application came up.

Developers wanted to demolish a garage workshop in Harvey Mews and replace it with five two or three-bedroomed houses. The officers had recommended approval and, in the absence of any of Hornsey’s Labour councillors to comment on the plan, Councillor Winskill spoke.

He voiced concern that this would be the loss of the sixth garage workshop in the Hornsey/Crouch End area in the past two years and that it would mean a loss of amenity for residents, jobs and loss off training opportunities for young people.

Cllr Winskill also protested at the modest amount of Section 106 money that the developer had been asked to give Haringey to pay for educational resources: “I did my sums and realised that £16,500 on offer was a tiny amount when the asking price for these properties is going to be in the region of £2million!”

He pointed this out to the Chair of Planning who agreed and suggested that the decision be deferred until a new agreement with the developer could be reached. However, fearing a long delay, the developer agreed on the spot to up the amount to £25 000.

David Winskill comments:

“This was a fantastic result but a lucky one. Getting planning permission on land increases its value enormously. If elected next May the Lib Dems will be looking to see how we can get more cash to spend on our communities.”

Lib Dem Education spokesperson Cllr Gail Engert has expressed deep concern at Government figures that show a number of primary schools in the borough continue to struggle despite slight improvements to Haringey’s overall score.

The figures that were released by the Department for Education and Skills on Friday (2nd December) shows that Haringey has improved its average Key Stage 2 test results from 214 last year, to 218 points this year.

However the breakdown of scores school-by-school shows that 22 of the 53 schools assessed have actually seen a drop in scores this year with a number dropping below the borough’s average for the first time.

Cllr Engert is concerned that although there have been improvements in some of the traditionally poorer performing schools, many still appear to not be receiving the necessary support from the Government or Haringey Council with poor showings in Labour’s league tables simply compounding the pressure on heads teachers and teaching staff.

Cllr Engert says that with the amount of support and money that the Labour-run council and Government claim to be investing there appears to be little excuse for the failings that the league table shows.

She, along with Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone, believe that in order to address the performance of schools, the Government and Council must listen to schools concerns and needs rather than obsessing over league tables.

Cllr Engert comments:

“Some of these figures are of concern, but certainly what is more worrying is the obsession Labour has with league tables. I have visited a number of schools in the borough and the dedication and hard-work of these teachers is simply being undermined by a Labour Government obsessed with these tables and a Labour Council happy to toe the line.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Teaching is about much more than simply jumping through Labour Government hoops. If the Government actually listened to the schools and addressed their concerns, rather than pressurising them with statistics, I am sure we would see a huge improvement in education performance, with or without league tables.”

Laura Edge, Lib Dem councillor for Stroud Green, has welcomed an assurance from Haringey Council that it will repair dangerous pavements in the Quernmore Road approach to Harringay Station, N4.

This is the latest success for Cllr Edge and local residents who have worked hard with Haringey’s Neighbourhood Management Team for 18 months to clean up the area that has been neglected and had become a hotspot for crime and petty vandalism. Improvements so far have included the installation of new street lighting, hanging baskets, new litterbins and new tree plantings, as well as the removal of a vandalised bench, paint on the pavement outside the library and the arrangement for better waste disposal for local businesses.

The repairs to the station approach complement improvements to the cleanliness and safety of the station itself which have been achieved thanks to lobbying by Lynne Featherstone MP.

Cllr Edge (Stroud Green) comments:

“This area has long been a blight on the neighbourhood – it has been an uphill struggle but we are finally starting to see improvements. This is in no small part down to the vision and dedication of local resident and I hope to continue to work with them and with Lib Dem activists and Lynne Featherstone MP to continue to transform the character of the area”.

Lib Dem councillor for Fortis Green Martin Newton has expressed shock after two residents contacted him after Haringey Council and a housing association left them for weeks without hot water or heating, whilst boilers are repaired, or new ones installed. He is concerned that there may be more tenants who are being left for long periods, or if these really are isolated cases.

Cllr Newton was first alerted to the problem in late October by an elderly council tenant who reported that their water heater had been removed as it no longer complied with regulations. However he was not offered a replacement.

They were left for over two weeks without hot water, washing and washing-up in cold water, despite contacting Haringey Council on several occasions. Within days of Cllr Newton contacting Haringey Council, they found a replacement heater and installed it.

The second report came from a disabled mother and children who had been left by a housing association for six weeks without a boiler. The Haringey Council tenant had been given some electric fires but was very worried about the cost of running them for this length of time.

Following several calls and emails from Cllr Newton to the housing association, a new boiler was installed within days. He has also secured written agreement that compensation will be paid.

Cllr Newton is pleased that he has been able to get both of these cases resolved quickly. However, he is deeply concerned that it has taken his intervention to have this resolved. With the coldest winter in a decade predicted, Cllr Newton is calling on Haringey Council to take steps to ensure that this kind of situation does not arise again.

Cllr Newton (Fortis Green) comments:

“I am pleased that both these cases have been resolved, but the length of time that these two tenants were left without a boiler is totally unacceptable.

“I have contacted the Council and the housing association concerned expressing my shock at these cases and have demanded that they take steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Furthermore I would welcome any other tenants who have had a similar experience to contact me and I will happily take their case up with the Council.”

Lib Dem councillor for Fortis Green ward, Matt Davies has secured the installation of a new dog mess bin in a lane linking Highgate Woods to Lanchester Road, N6.

Cllr Davies requested a replacement last month after local residents contacted him complaining that Haringey Council had removed the existing dog mess bin and failed to replace it with a new one.

The lane is frequented by dog walkers who use it to access Highgate Woods, and as a result Cllr Davies was eager to ensure Haringey Council replaced the bin as quickly as possible. Last week, the Council confirmed that they had installed a new bin.

When Cllr Davies investigated, the Council explained that the old bin had been removed as they had no record of who installed it and so it was not being emptied. But Haringey Council agreed to install a new bin at the same site and include it in their emptying schedule.

Cllr Davies (Fortis Green) comments:

“Dog mess is an annoyance, but more importantly, it is also a serious health hazard. Many residents use this path on their way to exercising their dogs in Highgate Woods and want to be responsible dog owners.

“By providing this bin, the Council is helping dog owners to be responsible and also helping to ensure that both our local residents and their pets can enjoy Highgate Woods, and the paths around it, to the full.”

Speaking in response to news that Haringey Council’s Social Services have been awarded a two-star rating from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, Lib Dem social services spokesperson Cllr Wayne Hoban comments:

“Haringey social services certainly need to see improvements in its ratings, and these improvements are from a very low base.

“There is still clear evidence that Haringey Council is failing to adequately improve the service in key areas, such as failure to achieve targets set for timely assessments, without which vulnerable people cannot obtain the services they may be entitled to, failures in child protection procedures, with particular reference to SEN children within education, and poor co-ordination and continuity of cover due to high levels of temporary staff.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Alexandra ward have expressed concern after they failed to receive an explanation from Haringey Council as to why the raised flowerbed sited at the junction of Palace Gates Road and Crescent Road, Wood Green has not been planted for the last few years.

The Council’s Executive Member for Environment, in response to a written question from Lib Dem councillor Wayne Hoban, confirmed that although the site had been considered for inclusion in the borough’s site sponsorship scheme, Marketing Force, who have been contracted to seek sponsorship for such sites, had indicated from the outset in 2002 that they did not believe that there would be any commercial interest in the site.Since then, the flowerbed has been left unplanted and unattractive, collecting empty bottles and rubbish.

At a Triangle residents meeting held last week, a council officer informed Cllr Hoban that a decision had been taken to plant the flower bed, to coincide with the first phase of the Triangle Improvement scheme, funded through the Muswell Hill Assembly budget, which is due to start at the end of the year.

Although Cllr Hoban is pleased that action will now be taken to improve the flowerbeds, he is angry that Haringey Council seems to be doing little to assist in the improvement of this area despite the hard work of local residents and local Lib Dem councillors.

Cllr Hoban (Alexandra ward) comments:

“Despite persistent lobbying by myself, local residents and businesses since 2002, the council have allowed the site to be left unplanted and uncared for, which is clearly unacceptable.

“Although I am pleased that action will now be taken to address the problem, it is yet another example of a Labour council out of touch with the needs and aspirations of its residents.”

Lib Dem councillor for Alexandra ward, Wayne Hoban, has expressed astonishment that a new climbing frame installed in the recently upgraded Children’s Playground in Alexandra Park has been taken out of service pending repair.

The new high tech climbing frame was cordoned off just weeks after the Heritage Lottery funded upgrade had been completed in early summer and has remained closed for several weeks.

Responding to an enquiry from Cllr Hoban as to why the climbing frame had not been reopened, the Palace Manager confirmed that part of the frame’s mechanism had been stolen soon after it was installed and that it was proving difficult to replace the part.

Cllr Hoban is amazed that the Palace management has been unable to source the part needed to make the climbing frame safe and has asked them to address the problem immediately.

Cllr Hoban comments:

“It seems incredible that after waiting so long for the playground to be upgraded to a decent standard, local residents and children should be denied use of the climbing frame so soon after the playground was reopened.

“It would seem that something has gone wrong at the planning stage if it is discovered that the equipment can be disabled so easily and parts are so difficult to procure.This is yet another example of poor planning and execution of ‘improvements’ in the park. Local residents and children deserve better.”